


canary

by yuzus



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, No Name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 08:17:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11309412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuzus/pseuds/yuzus
Summary: No Name is faced with two decisions: find a vocalist, or be forced to split. After the hardships they have endured for over 10 years, it becomes difficult for them to meet these needs. But one night at a shady bar in town makes Levi's heart beat faster and more brilliant than before.





	canary

“Levi.”

 

“Hange.”

 

“Why exactly are we here on a Friday night? I mean, I’m not complaining, but this isn’t the usual spot so I-”

 

“Because we are. Okay?”

 

They were stood outside of an old, run down bar with green fluorescent hanging lights tipped slightly over the bar’s name, coiled up and tangled across the crimson wall. The pounding of heavy alternative and punk music could be heard faintly from outside, the thuds of the wall hitting the pavement and blasting the deep bass intensely towards the visitors queuing up outside.

 

Although this was a different bar to the one they typically attended, Levi sought a new vibe. He knew it wouldn’t take long for him to get used to Wall Rose, an edgy punk bar full of sweaty dudes with motorbikes and neckbeards. So he asked around, and discovered Shina, a new place being opened for the trendy kids who want to drink pina colada on a Tuesday and listen to college students blast out on their cheap instruments and get drunk in a nihilist mood.

 

Levi was wary of this spot, as he needed to drink in peace somewhere similar to fit his edgy aesthetic and punk taste, but he figured this new bar would do until he could find something else, or until he got bored and moved on.

 

“Are you sure we can… like… look here? I feel like everyone here will be underage and I don’t want to deal with kids going through puberty Levi, we had that already when Oluo auditioned and I’m not doing it again!”

 

Levi could hear Hange whining and mumbling to themselves, but frowned and creased his brow as he pulled his ID out from his pocket and thumbed it to the door. Hange followed, gazing around and trying to take a peek, dragging their rucksack behind their back before freezing, thinking briefly.

 

“Wait!”

 

Levi sighed and turned back to Hange, giving them a bored stare.

 

“Glasses.”

 

They stared at each other for a moment, mouths agape and eyes bright, followed by a short mischievous grin and humming in unison.

 

“Sometimes you aren’t as bad as I think, shitty glasses.”

 

* * *

 

 

They walked inside with ease, unlike the two college boys behind them haggling the bar staff to get in. Levi and Hange giggled quietly, arranging their suits and tightening their ties to the top of their necks. The formal attire clearly did not fit with the environment, as Levi’s sharp, heeled boots clicked across the metal floor, Hange’s steel shoes smashing on the hard surface, as well as the occasional jangle from a silver accessory piece hanging on Hange’s suit. Their attire matched as the same shade of black swallowed up every inch of light in the room, donned by their dark hair slicked back with gel, Levi’s was swiveled to the side to show off the multiple ear piercings held on his face, whilst Hange held their ponytail up high and pushed their fringe back into a quiff with stiff hair products, that usually got stuck on their clothes or hands but Levi insisted he would help to ensure both of them keep up appearances in this out-of-place environment.

 

Levi and Hange strolled towards the back where the bar was situated, briefly scouring round to take in the scene. It was what they expected: a small ish bar with blacked out windows but alternative vinyls and merchandise hanging on the wall, bright blue walls and a softer brown carpet, followed by a large stage surrounded by hanging plants and flowers tentatively decorated and peppered around the clean space. Levi nodded in approval, swiping his index finger across the marble bar space and inspecting.

 

 _“It’s much cleaner than the other place…”_ Levi thought hastily.

 

As though Hange read his mind, they clicked their tongue in approval and gawked at the wide equipment space they had open for paying customers. They inspected the few bass cases and found some pretty typical names, nothing out of the ordinary, before collecting their bag from the table and wandering back to Levi.

 

“Hange! Hey!”

 

Hange whipped their head around to follow the deep voice, lifting their glasses up and tipping them on the edge of their nose.

 

“Ah! Mike, there you are!”

 

Hange waved and called him over, as all three of them sat together in an open but quiet section of the room away from the various students trying to neck a beer or drown in tequila shots. The music was mellow and chill, and some were singing along out of tune to the melody.

 

“Sorry I’m late I uh… had business to attend to.”

 

“You were fucking Erwin again weren’t you.”

 

Mike and Hange spat their drink out, spraying the table and the few seats in front and beside them, as Levi grinned shyly with his glass to his lips. He shortly helped Hange clean up, and rested his palms on the table, a small gesture to symbolise “let’s get down to business.”

 

“Acts usually start at 10, so we have a few minutes to relax I guess. Anyone here look promising?”

 

Levi’s voice was open and willing, he examined the others expressions and turned to face the group behind him. There was a group of friends, possibly a bit younger than the trio, but at least old enough to drink without begging the staff for a top up of vodka and lime. They all fit in pretty nicely, a brown haired boy with emerald eyes was talking amongst the group and dominating conversation by using his clear glass as a pointer and gesturing with each syllable that came out of his mouth. The rest were similar, all of the same type and seemed close, although everyone had a “pair” and typically spoke among the two, whilst also contributing to the group.

 

Levi sighed and gazed down at his drink, shifting in his seat to find his wallet and called the waiter over to have another. Hange gawked at the group of kids, trying to spot at least one person who might stand out. Mike also helped, briefly sniffing the air to scent out a “punk aura” or whatever that meant, because Levi didn’t understand at all.

 

“No luck, huh? I knew we should’ve tried somewhere else, fuck.”

 

“Hey, don’t be a quitter, Levi. We still have the rest of the night, we’ll find someone here, I’m sure of it.”

 

Levi squinted at Hange and sighed, skimming the rim of his drink lightly with his thumb and pulling his phone out to fiddle with the device whilst waiting for one of the drunk kids to pull an acoustic guitar out and break into Wonderwall.

 

Mike was eagerly texting Erwin, before he breathed in slowly and shot his head up to look in the direction of the group of kids. A newcomer was joining them, and she had the aura that Mike knew was perfect for what Levi was looking for.

 

“Hey. Over there.”

 

Levi thrusted his head up in an instant and gazed eagerly until he found what Mike was looking at. He scoured the faces and spotted a new one, a new friend to the group, someone that Levi thought was undoubtedly stunning.

 

“I…”

 

Mike and Hange looked at each other and smirked, moving their chairs backwards to talk among themselves but keep an eye on their raven haired friend.

 

The newcomer was completely different to the group of friends she hung out with, like a bright star amongst thousands of dull ones. Her hair hung loosely on her shoulders as her choppy bangs sat lightly on her forehead, pale white skin enamoured by bright cherry lips and dark smokey eyes, a golden twinge of light pressed to her cheeks and a faint smile sat softly on top of it all. Her black attire matched closely with Levi’s, a dark shirt fitted neatly around her chest and tucked into a black pressed skirt, swiftling over her knees. The fishnet tights that clung to her long legs were matched with black studded boots and various chains hanging across her waist as a belt. The outfit complemented her immensely well, as it all came together flawlessly with a thin silver chain attached to her neck, showing off her milky white skin. She was the embodiment of beauty, her striking and dangerous demeanour was shadowed by a velvety smooth smile that melted Levi’s beating heart. The confidence she wore was expensive, the way she carried herself felt like a million dollars, and Levi wanted to be rich to posses her.

 

He realised he had been staring for far too long, as a rosy red hint of blush perked up on his cheeks. He didn’t seem to care, as his tinted glasses covered the lust in his eyes, but he felt like he was spying on something intimate, she seemed too real to exist, as someone that beautiful surely cannot exist.

 

He took one last look and grinned inwardly to himself, as he turned around to face his friends and gave them an approving nod. The trio smiled together, beaming like dazzling lights and shining stars whilst they drank peacefully, leaning back in their chairs wordlessly and occasionally applauding the acts that would step up on stage.

 

* * *

 

 

As the last few acts were called, Levi shifted in his chair to get comfortable and closed his eyes, his eyelashes fluttering on his soft cheeks. He heard the shuffling noises of feet, a light charm of silver jangling in the distance, and another act step on stage.

 

“Hey, uh... good evening! I’m going to sing something for you all tonight, enjoy.”

 

Levi winced his eyes open momentarily, too euphoric and doused with alcoholic beverages to keep them open. He listened intently to the sweet female voice hidden behind the microphone, as she started softly strumming on an acoustic guitar and gently tapping with her toes.

 

_“Asleep and awake, I chirp away_

_I'm just like a canary_

_Submerged inside sweet lies,”_

 

Levi widened his eyes and stared at nothing, too afraid to turn around. Hange and Mike stopped slurping on their cocktails and rose slowly, staring at one another in disbelief.

 

The sweet, melodic sound came from the girl that won Levi’s heart within a second, and had solidified that in an instant. Her voice was dulcet and warm, it had the sweetness of honey and power of gust mixed together, into one euphonious sound that emitted the room. The soothing sounds gave light, and entranced Levi into a spell of lust and admiration. He could only imagine what her vocals would be like collectively with music from No Name, let alone to hear her voice unhinged and free.

 

_“Asleep and awake, I peck away_

_I'm not scared of anything_

_Sleeping at the bottom of sweet syrup”_

 

Levi rose slowly, and gathered his hands together to clap in tune with the girl, eagerly wanting to step forwards and reach out to this girl who had talent embraced and laced within her. Hange and Mike joined in, yearning to grasp her and praise her, as Hange started hooting and whistling as the bridge came in. Her voice was magnetic, and Levi found himself seeking the attachment, wanting to be beside her, to sing with her, to see her freedom shine outside of the cage.

 

_“As long as I'm singing, that in itself is wonderful_

_So let me stay in this cage_

_As long as I'm shouting, that by itself makes me invincible_

_So don't open the door, please!”_

 

More people rose to their feet, amazed by the strong vocals and powerful tones of the girl on stage, as she simply ignored this and sang with her heart open to a room full of praise and love for her. Levi couldn’t help but smile strongly outwardly, at how amazed and impressed he was with the soft tones and precious ring of her voice.

 

As the last string of her guitar chorused throughout the room, it broke into a crowd of cheers and whistles, Hange evidently the loudest as they climbed on a chair and lunged into the air with screams and cheers. Mike was clapping eagerly, smirking at Levi slightly but mostly full of pure enjoyment and glee.

 

 _“Not bad.”_ Levi thought, taking one last look at the girl with adoration in his eyes and warmth in his heart. He settled his beating heart by taking one last shot, it rode down his throat smoothly as he swallowed deeply and collected his belongings, keeping an eye on the girl as she stepped down from the stage towards her friends, blushing with joy. Levi grinned slightly and hurriedly strolled over to the exit with Hange and Mike behind, pulling themselves together and straightening their outfit as they walked in unison.

 

* * *

 

 

Mike took a swift drag of his cigarette whilst looking at the bright grey moon, how the navy blue sky swarmed behind and donned it with stars. Hange was crouched on the floor, looking through their bag and organising it, pulling money out of every pocket and stuffing it into a wallet. Levi had his back against the wall with his foot resting on the side, hands stuffed deeply into his pockets and shades dressed over his eyes as he pondered thoughtfully.

 

“Is she the one? Could she be good enough?”

 

“Don’t get your hopes up, Levi. We’ll just ask and see what she says.”

 

“I know but… her voice is… unlike anything we’ve heard, and think about how good it would work with some of the new tracks we have, it’s just,”

 

Levi sighed mid sentence and grasped his glasses off to balance them on his head whilst looking at his now scuffed shoes.

 

“We need her. For the band to work again, we need her.”

 

Mike and Hange looked at Levi and then back at each other, as Mike sighed and nodded in agreement. Hange knew that she was the golden girl, and in order for No Name to perform, they needed that voice. They needed that girl. They grimaced and kicked a small pebble lying on the floor, groaning and laying their hands in their hair.

 

“I know. I know we do.”

 

“I’m gonna call Erwin, let him know what’s going on.”

 

Mike stepped aside as Levi reached his hand up towards the sky. He bended his fingers, trying to grasp the moon, to touch it in some way, before extending it further and looking at it anxiously. The future of the band entirely came down to this, he thought, as he remembered the countless other times the trio have been to other venues to search for that voice, to listen to an act that would blow them away, and throughout all of their ventures, she was the only one. Levi hummed softly, thinking back to her performance and how they could mix her voice with the new songs.

 

The light fixture above the Shina sign frazzled before shutting off, as the green hue dimmed and came to a stop around them. Hange looked up and glared at their watch, sighing at how far the hands have moved since coming outside.

 

“Do… do you think she-”

 

“She’s here, Hange. She hasn’t left yet and there’s no other exits in the building.”

 

“But-”

 

“Trust me.”

 

* * *

 

 

Hange saw the pain in Levi’s eyes, the desperation he felt and a twinge of ache hit their heart, knowing how much Levi will cling on to try and save this band. They weren’t always this desperate, they thought, as they recalled when Levi was the lead and sung his heart out. He shone on stage and became an entirely different person, like a side of the moon had swung out of his caged personality and took over, allowing him to become his favourite version of himself.

 

Hange smiled faintly at the memory, all of the hardships they endured together during college, how the trio have been together for as long as memory commits it, pulling Erwin along the way to be their manager when he wasn’t working as an architect, all of the fun shows they had for parties and playing at Mike’s parents birthdays only to get kicked out at 2am with a six pack of beer and a dollar between them to get home. But, Hange also remembered the bad memories. Levi’s utter breakdown at the end of senior year, the loss of friends and family as they decided they wanted to be together to create music and not work a typical 9-5 job, Levi’s throat worsening, and to top it all off they got destroyed by rival bands wherever they went.

 

Yet, they didn’t give up. The trio, plus Erwin, stuck together, wrote together, played together. They kept one another going. Hange looked down at Levi, who was sat on the floor with his head in his hands, nursing a bottle of water. They tiptoed over and laid their jacket on the floor next to him, gently patting his head and looking out into the street. It was abandoned and empty, only a few lights were on but dim enough to create a sense of light, whilst the wind echoed and the dust from the road ran along it, weaving up and down the concrete.

 

* * *

 

 

The bar door opened, and followed it came a group of people, some walking hand in hand, or relying on others shoulders to support themselves and stop from falling over. The stench of alcohol filled Levi’s nose and made his stomach turn, but he was too tired to care. He fidgeted on Hange’s jacket and searched in his pockets for his phone to call a cab.

 

“Eren, stand up, I can’t carry you all the way home, at least try for me?”

 

Levi heard the same voice as the girl from the stage and felt delirious. His throat went dry as he shut his eyes tight, hinting and praying in his head that it could all just be a dream. The echoes of these people went further down into the sidewalk as they all stumbled away, but Levi felt a presence behind him as he turned around to look upwards.

 

The golden girl with the melodic voice was stood with her back facing Levi, trying to usher her friend across the path. Levi snorted at how drunk he was, tongue hanging out and lopsided across his jaw as his hair was swivelled and moved behind his ears. He stood up as best he could and without falling on his ass to help the boy, grabbing his arms around his neck and helping him stand up.

 

“Ah-oh! Thank you… I was struggling for a moment because he stinks like shit and… oh…”

 

The girl looked down embarrassed, her plump cheeks red from intoxication as she fiddled with the tips of her fingers delicately and glanced back up to Levi with a shy smile dancing upon her lips. Levi nodded slightly as he coughed and took a breath before helping the boy into a taxi whilst looking at the girl from the corner of his eyes to watch her subtle movements. She seemed frail and small, almost completely different to the way she presented herself on stage, which reminded Levi of himself, and how he portrayed his character to be different in front of others. He turned back around to face her as she swept a portion of hair out of her face and looked at Levi with curiosity.

 

“How are you getting home? I’m getting a cab with two of my friends and it should be here shortly, if you’d like to get in.”

 

“Ah, don’t worry about that, I’ll just call one for myself since I don’t live around here, and pulling you and your friends around at this time would be kinda silly.”

 

She giggled slightly which warmed the mood and reminded Levi of why he was here, why he came to this bar, why he waited for her in the cold. He adjusted his hair and smiled slightly to her, making her beam brighter.

 

“Really, it’s okay. I heard you tonight, I was blown away, really… I think you have a wonderful voice and I uh…”

 

Levi scratched his neck whilst searching for the right words, glancing around him and biting his bottom lip for his stupidity. He felt the hot blush creeping up his neck and across his chest, the intensity was so warm he could hardly breathe.

 

“It’s okay! Thank you… that really means a lot to me, especially coming from you,”

 

Levi glanced up at the girl with amazement and confusion mixed together in his deep grey eyes. She smiled lightly at him as she swiftly moved her raven locks behind her ear, pursuing her lips gently and touching her fingers under the hem of her skirt with nerves.

 

“Oh, I-”

 

A sharp kiss was placed on Levi’s cheek, firm enough to leave the solid impact on Levi yet soft and warm to make him freeze in time, shouldered by adoration and longing. Her soft lips felt like feathers running along his cheekbones, light and smooth. Levi felt the impact and grabbed into her frail hands, squeezing them with delight and rubbing the palm of her hands gently.

 

She pulled away and looked into Levi’s adoring eyes only to feel warmth projecting out of hers. She took Levi’s phone out of his hand and copied her contact information inside, before waving goodbye and heading out into the moonlit morning. The cab arrived, full of other young adults breathing the same toxic air of intense fluids and the scent of fish and chips filled the small space, but Levi could only focus on the number saved on his phone, and the touch instilled on his cheek.

 

 

 

_“Hey, Mikasa. Would you like to join No Name?”_

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! i am off my hiatus from today, and will start a requesting fic project on my tumblr. feel free to follow me on leviackrrman.tumblr.com !


End file.
